Choline Is An Essential Nutrient With Many Benefits
Choline is in vitamins and minerals that we need to consume every day. It is considered part of the vitamin B group. Although it is not as well known as other minerals and vitamins, it is important to include it in the diet because it is an important nutrient.
Keep reading to learn more about this vitamin and its many benefits!
What is choline?
As mentioned above, this vitamin is considered part of the vitamin B group (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12). Both the brain and the nervous system need it, among other things, to help with memory, regulate mood and control muscles.
It is also necessary to form the membrane that surrounds the cells in the body. While the liver can produce it in small amounts, we mainly receive choline from the food we eat.
The benefits of choline
Like vitamin D, this vitamin plays a fundamental role in the absorption of calcium because it helps omega-3 fatty acids and the vitamin B group to function properly.
The various benefits of choline are listed below:
Choline is important for athletic performance
As with any activity, the brain needs to be able to communicate well with the muscles. If you do not have enough choline while exercising, it can delay the messages from the brain to the muscles. This can cause the body to become exhausted more quickly.
2. It helps in liver health
Choline helps move fat outside the liver, and therefore helps prevent liver disease. It also helps the liver prepare basic tasks such as filtering, detoxifying and converting food into energy.
3. It can help prevent premature aging of the brain.
New scientific research focuses on the effect that choline can have on cognitive deterioration as people get older. Researchers believe that it may help prevent premature aging of the brain.
Food rich in choline
Since choline is an essential nutrient, it is important to know which foods contain this vitamin, and add some of them to your daily diet.
- Egg yolk
- Liver
- Beef
- Brewer’s yeast
- Oats and oatmeal
- Nuts
- Legumes / beans
Choline and Alzheimer’s
A new study published by Arizona State University in the United States is researching a safe and easy treatment for one of the most devastating diseases: Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers studied the effect of choline on cognitive function with support from the Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center (NDRC). Overall, they found that it turns out to be promising for combating memory loss from diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
The study focuses on mice bred with similar symptoms to Alzheimer’s disease. The results show that the rodents who get high amounts of choline in the diet, get offspring with better memory compared to the mice that were born from mothers who had a diet with normal choline intake.
In this way, it seems that the beneficial effects of this vitamin are transgenerational. The effects appear to be not only beneficial to those who receive it in the womb and through breastfeeding, but also to the offspring’s offspring.
Choline is needed during pregnancy and lactation
Various food and nutrition institutes and research centers have confirmed that choline is an important supplement during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the mother’s choline intake affects the development of the baby’s brain and memory.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding must make sure they eat the daily amount of choline. Supplements are usually not necessary if a person has a healthy and well-balanced diet.
Side effects
Consumption of too much choline can lead to body odor similar to fish, excessive sweating or saliva, low blood pressure and predisposition to liver damage or disease. Some studies have shown that an excessive intake of choline can also increase the risk of heart disease.
Remember that these side effects only apply if you consume too much choline. Choline is an important nutrient for our body, which benefits our body when consumed in healthy amounts.
